THE BOTHWELL CASTLE.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7342, 21 June 1889, Page 4

THE BOTHWELL CASTLE.

On Wednesday evening a stranger arrived in the pore from Sydney, namely, the screw steamer Bochwell Lastle, belonging to the Bothwell Castle Steamship Company, of London, for whom Messrs T. Skinner and Co., of that city, are the managers. The vessel visits this port under engagement to the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand, to take cargoes of produce to the New South Wales capital. She was berthed at 7.30 a.m. yesterday at the No. 7 wharf, and work was immediately commenced in discharging the coal, of which she brings some 200 tons. She is a boat in every respect convenient for the carrying of cargo, for the working of which she has four spacious hatchways. She has also been successful in carrying horses, having recently made a voyage with these valuable quadrupeds from Melbourae to Bombay, and out of i total of 350, she only lost 14. Until within the last two years she has been exclusively engaged in the Anglo-Chinese trade. Latterly she has been employed in developing the trade with the Chinese Empire and Australia. In appearance the steamer has remarkable good lines, and is more like a mail boat than a cargo vessel. Her net tonnage is 1653, gross 2542, under deck 2399. She is built of iron, and has 4 bulkheads ; her dimensions being-length 319 ft lin, breadth 38ft, depth 28ffc. Her engines, which are by Messrs T. Richardson afld Sons, of Hartiepool, are 300 h.p. and, are on the principle known as the compound. Messrs R. Dixon and Co., of Middlesborough, are her builders, and she was launched in March, 1881, and was classed at London in December, 1882,100 Al. We must compliment the Union Company on their willingness to cope with the large export trade to Australia, and on having placed at the disposal of shippers a vessel of such good class as the Bothwell Castle. Her navigating Commander is Captain J. C. Tod, who has with him as officers— Mr W H. Tozer, chief; Mr E. Evans, second; Mr W. L. Paske, third; the Chief of the engineering department is Mr E. R. Pouter, who has as assistants Mr J. Fergusson, second; Mr T. Hawkins third, and Mr T. Johnston, fourth. Mr Monro, late of the Union Company's Rotorua, has been appointed purser pro tern., and to Mr Tozer, her chief officer, we are indebted for the following report of her passage here, which has been remarkable for heavy weather: — She left Sydney on June 12th at 1 p.m. with fine weather and light northerly breeze, which veered round to the N.N.E., and at midnight increased in force, raising a high, confused sea. The wind and sea continued to increase until 7 p.m. on the 14th, when it was blowing with great violence, which compelled the vessel to heave to. At 6.30 a.m. on loth it had moderated sufficiently to allow her to proceed on her passage, but was still blowing hard, and at noon on the same day it again increased, the ship rolling heavily. On the 16th the same unfavorable weather and heavy rain, and on the following day it again moderated; fine rain fell throughout the day. At 10 a.m. that day Cape Farewell was sighted, and the weather improved slightly until the 19th at 2.35 a.m., when Mana Island was sighted, the weather being then very thick and accompanied with line rain. Slowed down for a time, and at 2.45 a.m. sighted the Brothers. At 7.32 a.m. same day Cape Campbell was abeam; the wind then being round to the S.W. Passed Kaikoura at 5.45 a.m. on Wednesday, and anchored in Lyttelton harbor at 8.30 p.m. same day.